Hair spray formulations typically comprise a solution or dispersion of a polymer (the fixative) in water/alcohol mixtures. The polymeric materials which are soluble or dispersible in water, alcohol or mixtures thereof and are typically used in hair spray formulations are derived from one or more vinyl monomers such as vinyl acetate; crotonic, acrylic and/or methacrylic acids and/or their esters; N-vinylpyrrolidinone; octylacrylamide; and/or styrene compounds. When applied to hair and allowed to dry, the polymeric material provides human hair with body, consistency, firm texture, and, in general, maintains the hair in a desired arrangement. Hair spray formulations normally contain significant amounts of volatile organic compounds such as alcohols to facilitate rapid drying of the polymer solution. Environmental concerns continue to encourage the development of hair spray formulations which contain low levels of volatile organic compounds. Attempts to omit the volatile organic component of conventional hair sprays have failed to produce formulations which have acceptable drying times, particularly when the water level exceeds about 60 weight percent of the formulation.
Hair styling and grooming compositions containing higher levels of water typically contain as the film-former or fixative one or more of the following: acrylic or vinyl resins, water-dispersible polyesters, or polyurethanes. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 4,300,580 describes hair spray formulations comprising a water-dispersible (or water-dissipatible), linear polyester fixative in a water/alcohol mixture. These formulations are fast drying and have good hair-holding properties but also possess the disadvantage of being difficult to remove from the hair. In an effort to overcome the fixative removal problem, U.S. Pat. No. 4,300,580 discloses the addition of certain water soluble polymers, such as poly(ethylene glycols), to formulations containing a water-dispersible, linear polyester.
Very few of the known hair styling compositions contain a hair fixative material or resin, i.e., a film-forming material, that is based on cellulose. In instances where cellulose derivatives are used as hair fixatives, the cellulose derivative has been a quaternized, cationic cellulose derivative. The use of cationic cellulose derivatives as the fixative and/or conditioning agent in hair grooming formulations is disclosed in U.S. Pat. Nos. 6,071,505; 6,063,368; 6,007,802; 5,922,312; 5,830,438; 5,811,086; 4,876,083; and 4,839,166.
U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,668,273 and 5,792,856 describe certain C2-C4 alkanoate esters carboxy(C1-C3 alkyl) cellulose, processes for the preparation thereof, and coating compositions, including waterborne coating compositions, containing one of the disclosed carboxy(C1-C3 alkyl) cellulose esters. U.S. Pat. No. 5,994,530 describes aqueous pigment dispersions comprising a pigment and a C2-C4 alkanoate esters carboxy(C1-C3 alkyl) cellulose.